On-line web accessed energy meter

ABSTRACT

An electrical metering system capable of performing multiple metering functions, collecting data, and wirelessly provides the collected metering data to a utility operator. In the electrical metering system, at least one computing device for initiating a request for data. A first modem connects the computing device to an infrastructure. A wireless embedded modem for wirelessly connects an electric meter to an infrastructure, and the wireless electric modem receives a request from the computing device and wirelessly transmits the metering data to the computing device, thereby initiating the request.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to utility revenue meters for measuring usage and quality of electrical power in an electrical power distribution network. In particular, the present invention relates to utility revenue meters that are connected to the Internet via wireless means.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

With proliferation of electrically powered devices and systems, there is an increasing need to accurately and precisely measure and monitor the quality of the electrical power supplying these devices and systems. Electric utility companies (“utilities”) track electric usage by customers by using electrical energy meters. These meters track the amount of energy consumed at a particular location. These locations range from power substations, to commercial businesses, to residential homes. The electric utility companies use the energy meters to charge customers for their power consumption, i.e. revenue metering.

A popular type of energy meter is the socket-type energy meter. As its name implies, the meter itself plugs into a socket for easy installation, removal, and replacement. Other meter installations include panel mounted, switchboard mounted, and circuit breaker mounted. Typically the energy meter connects between utility power lines supplying electricity and a usage point, namely a residence or commercial place of business. Though not typical, an energy meter may also be placed at a point within the utility's power grid to monitor power flowing through that point for distribution, power loss, or capacity monitoring. Also, energy meters that handle sub-metering functions can be used to monitor internal customer usage.

Traditionally, energy meters used mechanical means to track the amount of consumed power. The inductive spinning disk energy meter is still commonly used. The spinning disk drives mechanical counters that track the power consumption information. Newer to the market are electronic energy meters based on solid-state microprocessor applications. Electronic meters have replaced the older mechanical meters, and utilize digital sampling of the voltage and current waveforms to generate power consumption information. In addition to monitoring power consumption, electronic meters can also monitor and calculate power quality, that is, voltage, current, real power, reactive power, apparent power, etc. These power quality measurements and calculations are displayed on an output display device on the meter.

While electrical utility companies currently use devices to measure the amount of electrical power used by both residential and commercial facilities and the quality of electrical power in an electrical power distribution network, these devices generally do not allow for readings to be made automatically via some remote means. The meter readings are collected in the same manner they were collected in the past, a person reads and reports the information displayed on the meter.

In more recent developments, limited power consumption information can be transmitted from the energy meter to the utility through the use of telephone communications circuitry contained either within or external to the meter. These developments are advantageous to the utility company in that they reduce the need for employees being dispatched to the remote locations to collect the power consumption information. A standard modem receives raw power consumption information from the energy meter and transmits the information to the utility company via telephone lines.

FIG. 1 illustrates a house or an institution 10 having a revenue meter 12 connected to a modem 14. The modem 14 is, in turn, connected to a telephone line 16. In the house or an institution 10, the telephone line 16 may be a dedicated line, i.e., only the modem 14 is connected to it, or a shared line, for example, with one or more telephones 18 connected to the same line 16 via a telephone jack 17. The telephone line 16 is connected to the telephone infrastructure or grid 28 being managed by a telephone company 26. Similarly, on the utility side, the utility company or a department entrusted to receive meter readings 20 includes at least one computer 22 connected to a modem 24, which is connected to the telephone line 16.

While this represents an improvement over past techniques, this method has proven to be costly and unreliable, as there is a need for dedicated telephone line connection and line maintenance, which is expensive. When equipment malfunctions an employee must be dispatched to determine the reason for the malfunction and then a specialist must be sent in to fix it. Therefore, there exists a need for a device, which can accurately, inexpensively, and timely provide measurements, e.g., power consumption information, recorded by a common energy or energy meter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electronic energy meter that can deliver power consumption information readings from residential and commercial facilities to electrical utility companies.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic energy meter that provides power consumption information to the electrical utility companies automatically via a remote means.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electronic energy meter that provides power consumption information to the electrical utility companies without involvement of human meter readers and installation of modems and telephone lines.

The present invention provides an electric energy meter for providing real time revenue metering using wireless or cell phone technology. The present invention describes an electrical metering system capable of performing multiple metering functions, collecting data, and wirelessly provides the collected metering data to a utility operator is disclosed. The electrical metering system comprising at least one computing device for initiating a request for data; a first modem for connecting the computing device to an infrastructure; a wireless embedded modem for wirelessly connecting an electric meter to an infrastructure, wherein the wireless electric modem receives a request from the computing device and wirelessly transmits the metering data to the computing device thereby initiating the request.

The present application describes three infrastructure variations herein below. However, additional combinations and variations of the described infrastructure will be understood by those skilled in the art. The invention describes establishing communication between the embedded wireless modem and the computing device over the following infrastructures:

1. The infrastructure comprises a telephone infrastructure including telephone landlines operated by at least one telephone company and a cell phone infrastructure including cell phone relay stations operated by at least one cell service provider. The embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols used within the cell phone industry to communicate with the computing device.

2. The infrastructure comprises a wide area network, e.g., the Internet. The embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols, for example, 802.11a and 802.11b, to communicate with the computing device.

3. The infrastructure further comprises the wide area network and a carrier network infrastructure including a broadcasting means operated by at least one carrier network provider. The embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols selected from General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) to communicate with the computing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is further explained by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of interconnectivity between an energy meter and a utility for the purpose of collecting power usage data according to prior art;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of interconnectivity between an energy meter and a utility for the purpose of collecting power usage data, using the telephone and a cell phone infrastructures, according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of interconnectivity between a energy meter and a utility for the purpose of collecting power usage data, using the Internet and a carrier network infrastructures, according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a diagram of interconnectivity between an energy meter and a utility for the purpose of collecting power usage data, using the Internet infrastructure, according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides an electric energy meter for providing real time revenue metering using wireless or cell phone technology to deliver information to a computing device on a network, e.g., an Internet website, managed by an electrical utility company or its affiliates. The operation of the electric energy meter of the present invention is described in a co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,563, titled “Electronic Energy meter”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Numerous types of wireless Ethernet connections can be used to perform the objects of the present invention. These types can be classified in terms of the type of a connection to the network and the configuration and capability of the utility revenue meter. In general, the proposed implementation can be used on any network that includes wireless modems. The following are some examples of proposed configurations.

Dial-Up Connection

FIG. 2 illustrates a computing device 22, e.g., a computer or a hand held wireless device that may be used to retrieve information form a revenue meter 12. A revenue meter 12 is located within or outside a house or an institution 10 for metering utility provided resources, e.g., electrical power. A connection between the computing device 22 and the revenue meter 12 may be established via a dial-up using wired lines 28, such as a telephone infrastructure and wireless cell technology. A telephone infrastructure or grid 28, managed by a telephone company 26 may be used together with the wireless grid infrastructure 40 including Cell Relay stations 42 managed by a cell phone service provider. It is noted that the telephone infrastructure or grid 28 may be discarded where the computing device 22 has direct access to the wireless grid infrastructure 40.

The computing device 22 may be located anywhere the telephone and cell infrastructures 26 and 40 reaches. This may be on the premises of a utility company itself or at any department or agency entrusted with receiving meter readings. The connection between the computing device 22 and the revenue meter 12 may be established via a dial-up process using a wireless modem 34 to respond to a signal from the computing device 22 relayed by a cell relay station 42.

The wireless embedded modem 34 can communicate with the revenue meter via hard wired communication means 36, such as, a serial connection, the Ethernet, a universal serial bus (USB), and a faster version of USB, USB2, or using wireless means, for example, 802.11 and similar protocols. The meter peripheral device's 38 communicates with the revenue meter 12 via industry standard communication protocols, such as, Modbus remote terminal unit (RTU) from the Modicon Inc., ONP etc., so that the meter peripheral device 38 can act as a server for any revenue meters 12 utilizing industry standard interfaces and protocols. The peripheral device 38 presents the collected meter readings and data to the wireless modem 34 to be forwarded to the computing device 22 using a browser program.

The revenue meter 12 or a peripheral device 38 attached to the revenue meter manage the wireless modem 34, e.g., controlling the modem's readiness for a dial-up session established by the computing device 22. Additionally, the revenue meter 12 or the peripheral device 38 may be accessed via the wireless modem 34 and used as a server for providing revenue meter's readings and other relevant data to the computing device 22. An interface program, e.g., a browser may be used on the revenue meter 12 or the peripheral device 38 to send and receive data.

In this mode, after the connection between the embedded wireless modem 34 and the computing device 22 is established, the revenue meter 32 or the meter peripheral device 38 control the embedded wireless modem 34 maintaining its readiness for a dial-up session. Such a session may be initiated by the computing device 42 at any time.

Wireless Packet Data Connection

In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the wireless modem 34 communicates with the computing device 22 via a carrier network 54 using various protocols, e.g., a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) etc., to provide the revenue meter information collected by the revenue meter 12. In this embodiment, the carrier network 54 is utilized in conjunction with packet data networks, such as the Internet.

A connection between computing device 22, e.g., a computer or a hand held wireless device and the revenue meter 12 may be established via a carrier network 54. The computing device 22 uses a dial-up modem 24 or some other means to access an Internet service provider (ISP) and a common browser program, e.g., a Microsoft Explorer, to connect to the Internet 50, and through it to the carrier network 54. The dial-up modem 24 can be a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem or a cable modem and can connect to the Internet via the cable, satellite, or the telephone infrastructure, including hot spots located within appropriate distance from the modem 24. The modem 24 may be built into the computing device 22.

The carrier network 54 may include a carrier network provider facility 58, a broadcasting means 56, e.g., a broadcasting tower, a satellite, etc., and some means of access to the Internet 50. The computing device 22 may be located anywhere, the only requirement is that it has an ability and means to connect to the Internet 50. The computing device 22 may be located on the premises of a utility company itself or at any department or agency entrusted with receiving meter readings.

A request for information from the computing device 22 is forwarded over the Internet 50 to the carrier network provider facility 52, where the request is processed and transmitted via the broadcasting means 56 to the wireless embedded modem 34. The wireless embedded modem 34 can communicate with the revenue meter via hard wired communication means 36, such as, a serial connection, the Ethernet, a universal serial bus (USB), and a faster version of USB, USB2, or using wireless means, for example, 802.11 and similar protocols.

The revenue meter 12 or a peripheral device 38 attached to the revenue meter, manages the wireless modem 34, e.g., control the modem's readiness to send information to the computing device 22. Additionally, the revenue meter 12 or the peripheral device 38 may perform as a server for providing revenue meter's readings and other relevant data to the computing device 62. An interface program, e.g., a browser, may be used to send and receive data.

Hot Spots

In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the wireless modem 34 communicates with the computing device 22 via the Internet 50 to provide information collected by the revenue meter 12. In this embodiment, the wireless modem 34 is accessed via a wireless access point (802.11a or b) called a hot spot 60, which covers a specific geographic boundary. The hot spots are usually set up for Internet access by devices with wireless connectivity. Hot spots can be located just about anywhere, and the maximum connectivity distance is being constantly improved.

Although the illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in the art. That is, those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto. 

1. An electrical metering system capable of performing multiple metering functions, collecting data, and wirelessly providing the collected metering data to a utility operator, the electrical metering system comprising: at least one computing device for initiating a request for data; a first modem for connecting the computing device to an infrastructure; and a wireless embedded modem for wirelessly connecting an electric meter to an infrastructure, wherein the wireless electric modem receives a request from the computing device and wirelessly transmits the metering data to the computing device thereby initiating the request.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure comprises a telephone infrastructure including telephone landlines operated by at least one telephone company and a cell phone infrastructure including cell phone relay stations operated by at least one cell service provider.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrastructure comprises a wide area, network.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the infrastructure further comprises a carrier network infrastructure including a broadcasting means operated by at least one carrier network provider.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein the wide area network is the Internet.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is selected from one of a desktop personal computer, a laptop computer a cell phone, a hand held computing device.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device uses wireless technology.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device uses a web browsing program to initiate the request for data.
 9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication means for connecting the wireless embedded modem communicate with the revenue meter, the communication means being selected from hard wired wireless means.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the hard wired means is selected from one of a serial connection, the Ethernet, a universal serial bus (USB).
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless means utilizes 802.11 protocol.
 12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a meter peripheral device connected to the revenue meter, the meter peripheral device act as a server for at leas one revenue meter in managing the metering data and the connection between the computing device and the embedded wireless modem.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the meter peripheral device utilizing industry standard interface protocols selected from Modbus remote terminal unit (RTU) and ONP.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols are selected from General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) to communicate.
 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols selected from 802.11a and 802.11b to communicate.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the embedded wireless modem utilizing industry standard interface protocols used within the cell phone industry to communicate.
 17. A method for performing multiple metering functions, collecting data, and wirelessly providing the collected metering data to a utility operator, the method comprising the steps of: connecting at least one computing device to an infrastructure; initiating a request for data from the computing device; receiving the request in a wireless embedded modem connected to an electric meter; and establishing a connection with the computing device over the infrastructure, wherein the wireless embedded modem is wirelessly transmitting the metering data to the computing device.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the infrastructure is selected from (a) a telephone infrastructure including telephone landlines operated by at least one telephone company and a cell phone infrastructure including cell phone relay stations operated by at least one cell service provider; (b) a wide area network; and (c) the wide area network and a carrier network infrastructure including a broadcasting means operated by at least one carrier network provider. 